Do you remember the magazine that carried a feature on women’s leggings, photographing unwary moms’ bottoms when their kurta fluttered up at the traffic signal? I have an idea the magazine may like. I’d like to contact the same magazine to ask if they’d be interested in doing a similar feature on the men in gym who wear sleeveless T-shirts and gym tights and all men/boys who strap their pants around their thighs, their back pockets near the back of the knee and their “jockey” strap for everyone to see. If someone knows someone who knows someone who supplies water cans to that magazine, please put in a word, will you? That’s how things works, don’t they?

I was at the gym a couple of days back when all these distracting thoughts criss-crossed my mind. I noted them down to write about them later. I then finished my workout and checked my weight. I’d lost about 0.6 kilos over the last 10 days.

Project 50k update

Overall I’ve lost about 3.6 kilos from the time I started. I’ve also switched over to MyfitnessPal app. I find it crashes less often and has lot more food listings which makes it quicker to use. I’ve still got to lose a little over 14 kilos in 3 months. It’s a lot steeper than the pace at which I’ve been losing weight. But I also know I’ve had a few lackadaisical weeks when I was swamped with work, when I ate late and skipped my workout. Then there was my birthday and my son’s and so cake and ice cream. I thought I was no longer as besotted with chocolate cake, with ice cream, that I was now adult enough to not eat the entire box of leftover cake. Appears that I am not.

It’s time to tighten up and stay focused. How is your weight-loss journey shaping up? Do share in the comments section below.

Now I actually have a chicken parmigiana recipe in my drafts that I wanted to post but then I don’t want to disturb reader’s expectations. There were quite a few of them who felt cheated that I was eating Dal Makhani in the course of Project 50k. I am eating healthy most of the time. But I do occasionally eat rice, dal makhani or biryani. I am still very much focussed on project 50k. Here is another salad I hope convinces you that I am serious about all of this.

Purple cabbage chickpea salad

I roasted chickpeas and paneer and tossed them together with shredded purple cabbage and diced mango and doused them in a simple Asian flavour-mix. This purple cabbage chickpea salad is best had at room temperature and is therefore great to carry for your lunch. Trust me on the purple cabbage. It adds a wonderful crunch and a refreshing bite and flavour to the salad. It doesn’t feel raw at all.

Did you know purple cabbage is a super food for dieters and calorie counters? It contains 90% water and is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium and potassium. 1 cup of purple cabbage is just 28 calories. This is a great salad to eat if you’re trying to lose weight. Make it today!

1. Prepare your chickpeas. In our part of the world, you’ll need to soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain the water in the morning, rinse a couple of times and transfer to a pressure cooker. Pour in about 4 cups of water and pressure cook for ~12 to 15 minutes or 2-3 whistles. Switch off. Your chickpeas need to be cooked through but not mushy. Drain the liquid from the chickpeas and set aside to cool.

2. Heat a non-stick pan. Add 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the cooked chickpeas. Spread them around the pan in a single layer so that all the chickpeas have a nice chance to roast. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5-8 minutes, shaking the pan in between. When the chickpeas are nicely roasted with roast marks on them, remove them on to a plate.

3. To the same pan, add the remaining sesame oil. When the oil turns hot, add the cubed paneer in a single layer. Roast the paneer for about 5 minutes, turning them over in between to allow for even roasting on all sides. Add back the roasted chickpeas. Season with salt, black pepper powder, paprika and brown sugar. Mix well. Remove the roasted mixture to the same plate. Allow to cool down completely

4. Once cool, transfer the roasted mixture to a large bowl. Add in the shredded purple cabbage and diced raw mango. Toss well. Dig in!

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Welcome to Foodbetterbegood!
I am Jayanthi. I love to cook. I am the one who lingers on at a function to have a word with the caterer to ask him for the vathal kuzhambu recipe. I amass recipes and I covet my knives.
I love a good story. I believe everyone does. If you love stories, if you love good food, you are at the right place.
You’ll see snatches of my writing, my DIY attempts and antique love in this space. You’ll see good food and simple recipes and plenty of stories. Foodbetterbegood is my diary.